Newswise — If you were told that there is a silent killer in the U.S. that takes the lives of up to half the people who get it each year—more than 250,000 people—would you know what it is? If you were told that it can strike anyone of any age and kills more people than prostate cancer, breast cancer and AIDS combined, would that narrow it down?
According to medical experts, if you have no idea what the condition is, you’re like most Americans. Most people have never heard of sepsis, have no idea what it is, and don’t know what they can do about it.
First, sepsis is when the body has an overwhelming response to an infection. The infection can be in the lungs, urinary tract, skin, abdomen (such as appendicitis) or any other part of the body. Some people think that people only get sepsis from being in the hospital, but the majority of people who get sepsis develop the initial infection outside the hospital. Sepsis can develop from any infection, even a cut or a skin infection.
Once you have an infection, immune chemicals released into the blood to combat the infection cause tissue damage. In severe cases, one or more organs fail. In the worst cases, blood pressure drops, the heart weakens and the patient spirals toward septic shock. Once this happens, multiple organs—lungs, kidneys, liver—may quickly fail and the patient can die.One of the things you can do to prevent sepsis is to prevent infection.
1. Get vaccinated against the flu, pneumonia, and any other infections that could lead to sepsis. Talk to your doctor for more information.
2. Prevent infections that can lead to sepsis by cleaning scrapes and wounds right away, do not pick scabs and keep wounds clean and practicing good hygiene (e.g., hand washing for at least 15 seconds).
You can also prevent other people from acquiring infections by getting the flu vaccine, covering your mouth when you cough and staying home from work when you are sick or have a fever. You can learn more about how to prevent the spread of germs by visiting the CDC website.
People with weakened immune systems, such as HIV patients, the elderly, infants, or patients undergoing chemotherapy, should be extra cautious with preventing infections, as they are at higher risk of developing sepsis.
For more information about sepsis and protocols to stop the spread of sepsis, visit pinnaclehealth.org/sepsis.
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